Pluralism's long roadEditorialThere is a message about pluralism that Jews can glean from the High Holiday season, observes Rabbi Rachel Sabath of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.Pluralism, like true repentance, is not a constant but a process, demanding abiding care and concern. It requires hard work and constant diligence, says the rabbi, with efforts that echo the High Holiday themes. It requires humility. Sabath says we must recognize that there are myriad ways to express Jewishness, even as we embrace a path we find personally meaningful. It requires forgiveness. We must cut through the dreadful din of dissension that has almost drowned out the voices of tolerance and acceptance, striving to hear the legitimacy and humanness of other sides. We must engage in earnest dialogue, asking hard questions, listening to answers. We must open ourselves up to new ways of thinking, even as we struggle to stake out common ground. It requires shared language. We must work to educate ourselves in Torah, immerse ourselves in text, understand our history. If we do not know, we cannot be sensitive. We must recover hope and gratitude. We must celebrate our communal strivings to perfect the world, even as we differ on how to do so. As a community, we must seek ways to express our humility, forgiveness, gratitude and hope. Interdenominational efforts to diffuse tension and inspire understanding and respect help us to turn toward, rather than away from, one another. The New York Board of Rabbis recently catalogued hundreds of such ventures among Jews throughout the nation. In the Valley, while the volume of disagreement has abated in recent months, a wariness and unease remain. We must create more opportunities for Jews to listen to and learn about one another if we are to preserve the essence of Jewish community we cherish. The book of life remains open. Let's resolve to turn a new page dedicated to Jewish unity as we move into the new year. 
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